0 Hour Work Week

THE
Z E R O HOUr<
WORKWEEK
HOW I L I B E R AT E D M Y S E L F F R O M T H E 9 T O 5
BY G E T T I N G PA I D T O B E M E
THEZERO
ORKWEEK
THE
ZERO HOUR
HOURW
WORKWEEK
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: WHAT
S THIS
INTRODUCTION:
WHAT IIS
THIS ALL
ALL ABOUT?
ABOUT?
PART ONE:
PART
ONE: MY
MY STORY
STORY OF
OF LIBERATION
LIBERATION
PART TWO:
PART
TWO: MY
MY JOURNEY
JOURNEY TO
TO GETTING
GETTING PAID
PAID TO
TO BE
BE ME
ME
PART THREE:
PART
THREE: ZERO
ZERO HOUR
HOUR CASE
CASE STUDIES
STUDIES
PART FOUR:
PART
FOUR: FINDING
FINDING YOUR
YOUR "PAID
PAID TO
TO EXIST"
EXIST SECRET
SECRET WEAPON
WEAPON
CLOSING: THE
CLOSING:
THE WORLD
WORLD NEEDS
NEEDS YOU
YOU TO
TO DO
DO WHAT
WHAT YOU
YOU LOVE
LOVE
UNCOPYRIGHT NOTICE
NOTICE
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is Uncopyrighted.
This
ebook is
Uncopyrighted. Feel
Feel free
free to
to steal
steal it,
it, copy
copy it,
it, or
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post it
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biog.
THE ZERO
THE
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
WHWHATATIS ISTHIS THISALL ALL

ABABOUT?OUT?
Is
possible to
to get
in a
a way
Is it
it possibLe
get paid
paid to
to exist?
exist? To
To live
live in
way where
where
you can't teLL the difference between when you're
working and
and when
working
when youre
you're playing?
pLaying?
But
But most
most people
people just
just believed
believed it
it was
was silly.
silly. Youre
You're just
just
supposed
supposed to
to accept
accept that
that work
work is
is something
something you
you have
haveto
to
do
do and
and that
that you
you dont
don't like.
like.
Well,
Well, II found
found out
out something
something interesting.
interesting. Just
Just because
because
most
most people
people believed
beLieved that
that work
work was
was meant
meant to
to be
be aa chore,
chore,
didn't make
make itit aa fact.
fact.
didnt
ItIt was
was really
really an
an agreement.
agreement.
So
So II decided
decided to
to stop
stop agreeing,
agreeing, and
and see
see what
what happened.
happened.
For
a Long
long time,
searched for
For a
time, II searched
for the
the answer
answer to
to this
this
question.
And as
as II searched,
searched, it
question. And
it didnt
didn't seem
seem many
many people
peopLe
What I found is that

that most
most of
of our
our ideas
ideas of
of what
what we
we think
think
were
on my
my side.
Some peopLe
people believed
were on
side. Some
beLieved it
it was
was possible
possibLe
to
do what
what you
love, but
had to
to do
you Love,
but that
that meant
meant you
you had
to be
be broke
broke
assumptions, you'LL probabLy find out something even

more
more interesting.
interesting. You
You can
can choose
choose to
to design
design your
your life
Life in
in
or
starving artist.
Some beLieved
believed that
a Life
life
or aa starving
artist. Some
that it
it was
was a
reserved
reserved for
for the
the rich
rich minority.
minority. And
And some
some believed
beLieved it
it was
was
whatever way you see fit. YOU make the agreement.
only
possible for
natural genius
onLy possibLe
for people
peopLe born
born with
with natural.
genius or
or
prodigal
prodigal. talent.
taLent.
In
In other
other words,
words, yes,
yes, it
it is
is possible
possibLe to
to get
get paid
paid to
to exist.
exist. Yes,
Yes,
itit is
is possible
possibLe to
to get
get paid
paid to
to be
be who
who you
you are.
are. II know
know itit is,
is,
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
to
are really
to be
be true,
true, are
really assumptions.
assumptions. If
If you
you test
test those
those
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because I've
done it.
it.
because
Ive done
makes
makes you
you come
come alive,
alive, makes
makes you
you excited,
excited, and
and allows
allows
you
you to
to do
do the
the things
things youre
you're naturally
naturally good
good at.
at.
But
exist? What
What does
does that
But what
what is
is getting
"getting paid
paid to
to exist?"
that even
even
mean?
Do
mean getting
Do II mean
getting paid
paid to
to just
just be
be alive?
alive? To
To sit
sit on
on a
a couch
couch
all day
day and
and watch
watch reruns
reruns of
all,
of Seinfeld
Seinfeld? Or to Lay on a
beach,
beach, drinking
drinking martinis
martinis while
while rubing
rubing cocoa
cocoa butter
butter all
all.
over your
your body?
body?
over
No, thats
that's not what I
mean.
And honestly,
honestly,
mean. And
while that
while
that might
might
be
fun for
a couple
be fun
for a
couple
of weeks,
weeks, youd
of
you'd
That
That is
is what
what Getting
Getting Paid
Paid to
to Exist
Exist is
is all
all about.
about. Its
It's about
about
getting
getting paid
paid to
to be
be who
who you
you are
are by
by leveraging
leveraging your
your
unique strengths, doing what you love, and finding a way
to
to channel
channel that
that so
so you
you can
can provide
provide value
value to
to others
others while
while
youre
you're doing
doing it.
it.
I KNEW
knew THAT
that THIS
thIs IS
Is WHAT
what I WANTED,
wanted, BUT
but I DIDN'T
dIdnt
THINK
thInk IT
It WAS
was POSSIBLE.
possIble. I GREW
grew UP
up WITH
wIth THE
the IDEA
Idea
THATWORK
A CHORE.
that
work WAS
was SUPPOSED
supposed TO
to BE
be a
chore.
IIfound
found out
out aa way
way to
to do
do
this
this for
for myself,
myself, only
only after
after
IItested
tested my
my assumptions
assumptions
about
about what
what II thought
thought was
was
possible
possible and
and what
what was
was not.
not.
probably
probably get
get bored
bored with
with that
that after
after a
a while.
while.
But
But it
it wasnt
wasn't easy.
easy.
Youd probably
probably want
You'd
want something
something more.
more. Youd
You'd probably
probably
See,
See, II knew
knew that
that this
this is
is what
what II wanted,
wanted, but
but II didnt
didn't think
think
itit was
was possible.
possible. II grew
grew up
up with
with the
the idea
idea that
that work
work was
was
want to make a difference and give other people some

kind
AND you
kind of
of value.
value. AND
you would
would want
want to
to do
do it
it in
in aa way
way that
that
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
supposed
supposed to
to be
be aa grim
grim duty
duty of
of paying
paying your
your dues
dues and
and
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sucking it
"sucking
it up.
up."
down the time to five o'cLock. I don't dread Mondays and

II never
never feel
feel. that
that my
my weekend
weekend was
was too
too short.
short.
It
turns out,
out, not
only was
It turns
not onLy
was that
that complete
compLete bullshit,
buLLshit, but
but
living
like that
actually aa sLap
slap in
Living your
your life
Life Like
that is
is actuaLLy
in the
the face
face to
to
Life itself.
life
If
is any
any purpose
to Life,
life, isnt
If there
there is
purpose to
isn't it
it to
to enjoy
enjoy it?
it? Isnt
Isn't
that the
the uLtimate
ultimate goal.
goal of
do?
that
of everything
everything you
you do?
IfIf this
this sounds
sounds interesting
interesting to
to you,
you, Id
I'd like
Like to
to show
show you
you how
how
II created
a life
created a
Life where
where II get
"get paid
paid to
to be
be me.
me." Ill
I'll bring
bring you
you
behind
behind the
the scenes,
scenes, tell
teLL you
you my
my personal
personal. story,
story, and
and give
give
you
you aa blueprint
bLueprint for
for how
how you
you can
can do
do the
the same
same in
in your
your life.
Life.
Your journey will obviousLy be a LittLe different than
So, wouLdn't
wouldnt it
make much
much more
sense to
bypass
So,
it make
more sense
to bypass
suffering now ("work") for happiness Later ("Living")?
Wouldnt itit be
be much
much nicer
nicer if
could just
WouLdn't
if we
we couLd
just eliminate
eliminate the
the
problem
probLem of
of work/life
"work/Life balance?
baLance?" Wouldnt
WouLdn't itit be
be nice
nice if
if
you couLdn't teLL the difference between when you're
working
and when
working" and
when youre
you're playing?
"pLaying?"
mine. That's OK. While I think modeLing others and

mentorship
mentorship is
is aa way
way to
to fast-track
fast-track success,
success, II know
know that
that its
it's
equally
equally important
important to
to live
Live on
on your
your own
own terms.
terms. Thats
That's the
the
whole
whoLe point
point of
of getting
getting paid
paid to
to exist,
exist, anyway.
anyway. Its
It's your
your
game.
game. You
You design
design it
it and
and you
you decide
decide how
how its
it's played.
pLayed.
I personally can no Longer tell, the difference.

I don't feel. a difference between my work on the one
hand
and the
other. II dont
hand and
"the rest
rest of
of my
my life
Life" on
on the
the other.
don't count
count
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With that
that in
in mind,
mind, getting
paid to
to exist
as much
With
getting paid
exist is
is just
just as
much of
of
an art
art as
as it
it is
is aa science.
science. II feel.
feel that
best described
an
that its
it's best
described by
by
Mr. Michener:
The
The master
master in
in the
the art
art of
of living
living
draws
draws no
no sharp
sharp distinction
distinction between
between
labor and
and his
his leisure,
leisure,
his labor
So
So were
we're going
going to
to take
take aa look
Look at
at what
what this
this working
"working while
while
playing
pLaying" looks
Looks like.
Like.
But first, I'd Like to teLL you my story.
his
his mind
mind and
and his
his body,
body,
his
his work
work and
and his
his play,
play,
and his
his recreation.
recreation.
his education and
He
He hardly
hardly knows
knows which.
which.
He
He simply
simply pursues
pursues his
his vision
vision of
of excellence
excellence
through
through whatever
whatever he
he is
is doing
doing
others to
to determine
determine
and leaves others
whether
whether his
his is
is working
working or
or playing.
playing.
To
he is
To himself,
himself, he
is always
always doing
doing both.
both.
James A. Michener
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
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them
them about
about it.
it. II wanted
wanted to
to know
know why.
why. But
But most
most of
of the
the
time
time they
they didnt
didn't have
have an
an answer.
answer. They
They would
wouLd say
say thats
"that's
PA R T O
NE
PART
ONE
the
the way
way it
it is
is" or
or because
"because its
it's made
made that
that way.
way."
MYSTORY
MY
STORY
Somewhere in
in me I realized
reaLized that
that that
that was
was false.
false. ItIt didnt
didn't
Somewhere
Throughout
life, I've
Ive aLways
always had
an issue
Throughout my
my Life,
had an
issue with
with doing
doing
things
based on
on someone
someone eLse's
elses idea
should do
things based
idea of
of how
how II shouLd
do
them.
Ive never
never been
been one
one to
to Like
like ruLes,
rules, authority,
them. I've
authority, and
and
conventions
that are
are not
to be
be questioned.
conventions that
not meant
meant to
questioned.
satisfy
satisfy my
my curiosity.
curiosity. So
So II would
wouLd ask
ask Why
"Why is
is itit that
that way?
way?"
and
and Id
I'd keep
keep asking
asking why
why when
when their
their answers
answers didnt
didn't
satisfy
satisfy me.
me. This
This eventually
eventually led
Led to
to the
the adult
aduLt becoming
becoming
frustrated
frustrated and
and telling
telling me
me that
that II was
was too
too quizzical.
quizzical.. II was
was
left
Left with
with aa guilty
guilty feeling
feeLing that
that something
something was
was wrong
wrong with
with
me
me for
for being
being so
so curious.
curious. II didnt
didn't accept
accept things
things the
the way
way
everyone
everyone else
else did.
did.
II grew
grew up
up in
a very
very fundamentaList
fundamentalist home
rural Idaho,
in a
home in
in rural.
Idaho,
and
my parents
parents were
were very
very conservative.
We went
and my
conservative. We
went to
to
church
on Sundays
Sundays in
in the
the famiLy
family station
wagon. II went
church on
station wagon.
went
to
public schooLs,
schools, and
had a
a typical.
typical childhood.
to pubLic
and had
childhood. II tried
tried to
to
follow
the ruLes
rules and
live the
was told.
follow the
and Live
the way
way II was
toLd.
As
was growing
a lot
As II was
growing up,
up, II often
often didnt
didn't understand
understand a
Lot of
of
what
the grown-ups
taught. II didnt
what the
grown-ups taught.
didn't get
get it,
it, so
so II would
wouLd ask
ask
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
I feLt Like I didn't "get it." Maybe when I was oLder I'd
understand. Maybe I wasn't smart enough.
But I still
stilt wondered.
wondered.
But
II wondered
wondered why
why my
my parents
parents hated
hated their
their jobs.
jobs. II wondered
wondered
why
why people
peopLe followed
foLLowed rules
ruLes that
that didnt
didn't make
make sense.
sense. II
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wondered why
schools wouldnt
wondered
why the
the schools
wouLdn't let
Let me
me learn
Learn what
what II
wanted
wanted to
to Learn.
learn.
For
For aa long
Long time
time II didnt
didn't know
know it
it was
was possible
possibLe to
to stop
stop
participating.
participating. II didnt
didn't realize
reaLize that
that II could
couLd choose
choose that,
that, or
or
something different.
II wondered
wondered Lots
lots of
But more
of things.
things. But
more than
than anything,
anything, II
wondered why
wondered
why people
peopLe had
had to
to become
become responsible.
"responsibLe."
DOMESTICATION AND
DOMESTICATION
AND
RESPONSIBI LITY
RESPONSIBILITY
It
seems theres
a certain
certain point,
point, somewhere
It seems
there's a
somewhere around
around the
the
age
eighteen to
to twenty,
that peopLe
people need
need to
age eighteen
twenty, that
to start
start being
"being
responsible.
Its not
anymore, its
responsibLe." It's
not about
about fun
fun anymore,
it's about
about being
being
responsible.
In other
responsible. In
other words,
words, its
it's time
time to
to stop
stop having
having fun
fun
and
start being
serious. Its
a job
and start
being serious.
It's time
time to
to get
get a
job and
and stop
stop
screwing
around.
screwing around.
II never
never understood
that. Why
Why couLdn't
couldnt work
understood that.
work be
be fun?
fun? Why
Why
did
the work
work you
you have
have to
do to
did the
to do
to survive
survive have
have to
to make
make you
you
unhappy?
unhappy? Wouldnt
WouLdn't itit be
be easier
easier to
to just
just not
not participate
participate in
in
that?
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
That was until. I started testing this convention: the

cultural
cuLturaL concensus
concensus that
that work
work must
mustnot
notbe
befun
fun
II dont
don't care
care where
where youre
you're born
born or
or what
what kind
kind of
of
upbringing
All of
upbringing youve
you've had.
had. AU.
of us,
us, on
on some
some level
LeveLor
or
another, have been influenced by this mammoth
collective
collective assumption.
assumption. Despite
Despite our
our pre-domesticated
pre-domesticated
inner
inner conviction
conviction that
that work
work is
is meant
meant to
to be
be sacred,
sacred, we
we
cant
can't help
help but
but be
be subdued
subdued when
when pushed
pushed up
up against
against this
this
social. vortex.
vortex.
social
Not
Not only
onLy can
can we
we not
not help
help but
but be
be sucked
sucked in,
in, we
we cant
can't help
heLp
but
but feel
feel. guilty
guilty for
for our
our desire
desire to
to want
want to
to experience
experience work
work
that is meaningful., fuLfiLLing, and a joy to engage in.
That
That feeling
feeLing of
of guilt
guilt never
never sat
sat well
weLL with
with me;
me; something
something
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about it
it smelled
smelled fake.
fake. But
But years
about
years of
of domestication
domestication is
is hard
hard
to
to break.
break.
MIND-RENTING, HERE
MIND-RENTING,
HERE IICOME
COME
So
after II was
was LovingLy
lovingly kicked
So after
kicked out
out by
by my
my mothers
mother's
boyfriend
at the
the tender
boyfriend at
tender age
age of
of sixteen,
sixteen, II began
began
faithfully fuLfiLLing my duty of "paying my dues." I first
rented
myself out
chains and
rented myself
out to
to fast-food
fast-food chains
and data
data entry
entry
sweatshops.
sweatshops.
Then I moved up in the world and got a job as a fiLe
program
program where
where coworkers
coworkers are
are recognizing
recognizing each
each other
other
for
for the
the great
great work
work they
they do
do is
is not
not aa bad
bad thing
thing to
to wake
wake up
up
to.
to. II was
was constantly
constantLy surrounded
surrounded by
by positive
positive feedback,
feedback, as
as
someone
someone whose
whose job
job was
was to
to spread
spread the
the word
word about
about the
the
great
great work
work people
peopLe do.
do. II imagine
imagine II had
had itit good
good compared
compared
to
to some
some other
other HR
HR and
and PR
PR positions
positions that
that dealt
deaLt with
with
constantLy putting out fires.
Even
Even though
though sometimes
sometimes II really
reaLLy enjoyed
enjoyed this
this job,
job, II
knew
knew II was
was still
stilt renting
renting out
out my
my mind.
mind. II was
was still
still letting
Letting
someone
someone else
else dictate
dictate how
how my
my energy
energy was
was channeled.
channeLed.
Someone else
else held
heLd the
the remote.
remote.
Someone
cLerk (or fiLe heLL Liason, a description I found much

more precise). After a coupLe of years of mind-bLowing
excitement handLing construction contract fiLes, I
finaLLy got a job I was "supposed to Like." I found a job
in
multimedia department,
employee
in aa muLtimedia
department, managing
managing an
an empLoyee
Now,
Now, you
you might
might argue
argue that
that getting
getting aa check
check every
every two
two
weeks
weeks warrants
warrants letting
Letting someone
someone else
else control
control. that
that
remote.
remote. But
But II always
aLways felt
feLt that
that there
there was
was aa better
better choice
choice
out there.
out
recognition
program.
recognition program.
Notice
Notice that
that keyword
keyword there...
there... choice.
choice.
II have
have to
admit, this
was not
to admit,
this was
not a bad job. Managing a
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You can choose to rent out your mind, or you can find a
way to
reclaim ownership
way
to recLaim
ownership of
of it.
it.
So, the question is: How can we afford to buy back our
own time?
time? How
How can
can we
we pay
ourselves to
own
pay ourseLves
to exist
exist so
so we
we
dont have
have to
to accept
accept a
a check
check from
someone else?
don't
from someone
eke?
ObviousLy, you have to eat, and you need a roof over
your head.
head. And
And you
you have
have to
a source
your
to have
have a
source of
of income
income
to pay
pay for
The problem
you realize
to
for it.
it. The
probLem arises
arises when
when you
reaLize that
that
everyone else
has an
an idea
idea of
of what
you shouLd
should be
be doing
everyone
eke has
what you
doing
with your
your time
with
time. In other words: if you don't choose a
purpose,
someone else
probably has
purpose, someone
eke probabLy
has one
one for
for you.
you.
II reaLized
realized that
that its
pay yourself
it's not
not that
that hard
hard to
to pay
yourself to
to be
be
who you
you are.
are. As
As soon
soon as
as II chose
chose a
a purpose
who
purpose for
for myself,
myself, it
it
became
easy for
see aLL
all the
could provide
became easy
for me
me to
to see
the ways
ways II couLd
provide
value to
to others
others while
vaLue
while following
following it.
it.
You have
have to
choose your
You have
You
to choose
your purpose.
purpose. You
have to
to choose
choose
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
the
the way
way you
you contribute
contribute value
vaLue that
that is
is meaningful
meaningful. to
to
others. You have to find a way to pay yourself for the
value
vaLue you
you share.
share.
MYPATH
S JUST
MY
PATH IIS
JUST ONE
ONE PATH
PATH
Your path will be different. My path is just one path.
But
But you
you can
can use
use me
me and
and the
the other
other people
peopLe Ive
I've featured
featured
in
in this
this ebook
ebook as
as an
an example
exampLe to
to work
work out
out your
your own
own
blueprint
bLueprint for
for making
making the
the transition
transition to
to owning
owning your
your own
own
time.
Whatever
Whatever you
you do,
do, do
do not
not read
read this
this and
and look
Look for
for excuses
excuses
why
why this
this is
is not
not possible
possibLe for
for you.
you.
ItIt is
is possible
possibLe for
for you.
you.
But
But you
you have
have to
to take
take action.
action. Learning
Learning and
and reading
reading is
is
absolutely
absoLuteLy necessary,
necessary, but
but only
onLy up
up to
to aa point.
point.
, I LA .ALU A i
11
THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

I want to help you make the change you want in
your life. Please dont read this as entertainment. Do
something with it.
Because if you dont implement, nothing will change.
No action, no results.
The perfect time will not come. It never does.
Paths are made by walking.
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12

What follows are the strategies I employed to get paid to
be me, that had the greatest impact.
PART TwO:
MY JOURNEY
TO GETTING
PAID TO BE ME
1. CREATING A CLEAR,
REMARKABLE MESSAGE.
This is really where you have to start, and the core
foundation that everything else is built upon. If you
skimp and build a shallow foundation, everything else
crumbles. So its worth spending a good deal of time
A lot of people ask me how Ive been able to achieve
thinking about this, getting clarity about your message
success online in the amount of time I have. While Im
and what makes it remarkable.
very grateful to have aqcuired the success Ive had, most

of it has come through the mindset and strategies Ive
With these strategies Ive managed to build a blog with

over 10,000 subscribers, create a full-time income
online, and get a regular writing spot for a top 50 blog
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A remarkable message that people can rally behind
You are deeply passionate about it.

It involves creating some kind of change, or an
ideal that people are passionate about.
13

It is remarkable, unique, and easily sharable with
others.
What makes me come alive?
To create a social
movement based on authentic action; a revolution of
people living on their own terms.
This is my core message, and its something others and
myself are deeply passionate about. Its an idea thats
What kind of change do I want to see happen in

the world?
What type of people do I most resonate with?
How can I speak to them?
remarkable so its easy for other people to get excited

about it and want to share it with others.
What are the connecting elements between me

and the people I want to reach?
It took me a while to really get clear about this message,

will take some time, but the best thing you can do is to
plant the seeds right now for thinking about what your
terms of a revolution or a social movement?
core message will be.

and remarkable message is that it allows the people
that resonate with your cause to connect with you more
easily.
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14

Without that, you leave people guessing or trying to
message to your tribe, on the other hand, you make them

feel special. They instantly connect with you because
have to decipher or decode the purpose of your website.
they know you are speaking to them.
It should be clear within 30 seconds what youre about

and the core themes behind everything you do.
GO FURTHER
and
How to Start a Revolution

.
WHAT IS A TRIBE?
A tribe is a group of people who are insanely interested
in a particular subject, topic, or thing. The more cult-like
the following, the more powerful the tribe is.
2. TAPPING INTO BLOGGING

AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO LEAD
A TRIBE OF PASSIONATE
PEOPLE.
Targeting my message to the people that I most resonate
highly interested in its study.

A few examples of tribes:
Productivity geeks that constantly tweak their

GTD systems.
with has been one of the biggest keys to my success.

Before I did that, I tried to speak to everyone, and guess
what happened? No one listened. When you direct your
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Hells Angels.
15

Football fans that paint their faces and go to
every game.
1. Why insanely interested?

The people that are insanely interested in your topic or
passion are the most likely to spread your ideas. They
are the ones that talk most about it; they are the ones
Martial arts practitioners that painstakingly hone

their skills.
These are just a few examples of tribes, and chances are
there will probably be a tribe surrounding your passion,
whether its knitting, interior design, or travel writing.
are insanely enthusiastic about what they do.

Before we get into how to connect with your tribe, lets
looking for more information and better information.

They want to know everything there is to know about it
and be completely immersed in it. Naturally, if they like
others.
2. Why do I want to connect with a tribe?
The answer to this question should be slightly obvious,
because there is a common interest, but so many people
do the opposite. They try to mass blanket their message
to everyone and try to make connections with people in
Think about it, who would you be more likely to want
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16

to build a relationship with and help? The person that
has the same interests, values, and goals as you, or the
THE POWER OF BLOGGING
person that you kind of like, but has none of the same
Blogging naturally helps you connect with people in
interests, none of the same goals or ambitions?
your tribe because you create a platform to continually

share and expand on your message. Every time you
write, you give your fans a chance to share your writing
people that you want to have relationships with
with other people in your tribe that they know.
because like them, you respect them, and you have

fun interacting with them. But not only are they fun to
There are tons of other reasons for having a blog which
interact with, theyre the people that will spread your
we wont get into here, but lets just say that blogging
is one of the best ways to build relationships. You give
away free content and free advice, and in return, build
SO HOW DO YOU FIND THESE

PEOPLE?
There are a potentially endless number of ways you can
go about doing this, but the two that have been the most
Blogging and Twitter.
like coaching or consulting, or you can use it to sell a

product.
Blogging also allows you to demonstrate your expertise.
Through means such as comments, subscribers, and fans,
blogging also helps you establish social proof. What
that means is that once people see a history of your
articles, comments, links, and the places youve been
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17

published, it establishes credibility.
Twitter is especially awesome because it breaks through

the normal barriers of starting conversations. Since
Not only does blogging help you form relationships, it
Twitter is created for the purpose of conversation,
is one of the best ways to show someone that you know
it eliminates the normal barriers to entry you would
before they buy from you.
otherwise experience. Ive had conversations with

bloggers on Twitter that would have normally been
Every time you write an article, youre forced to gain a

greater clarity and holistic understanding of the topic
nearly impossible to reach through conventional

methods of communication.
youre writing about. When you have to put what youre

teaching into words, youre not only teaching others,
Here are a few ways you can get started connecting with
youre teaching yourself.
people in your tribe.
WHY TWITTER IS CHANGING

EVERYTHING
1. Follow keywords
Go to Twitter Pulse and type in the keywords youre
If youre in the conversation, then you know that
looking for. If youre a martial arts teacher looking to
Twitter is completely changing the way we work and
connect with other martial artists, an obvious keyword

to track would be martial arts. But you can also search
the people in your tribe by using Twitter.
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18

3. Ask people to connect you
however often you want about tweets that contain your
keywords. Now you can start joining the conversation
with people that are passionate about your topic.
more people dont use it. I regularly ask people on

Twitter to connect me with other people they think I
2. Use a Twitter directory
a lot of cool, helpful, and interesting people this way. Its

Directories like WeFollow.com and Twellow.com are
incredibly easy to build relationships using this simple
becoming increasingly popular for listing yourself
technique.
about your topic, follow them and start conversations
3. RUTHLESSLY PRIORITIZING
BASED ON HIGHEST LEVERAGE
ACTIVITIES.
with them. Especially look for people with large

numbers of followers. Try to connect with these people
and study the way they use Twitter.
If you want to create freedom and get paid to exist, you

have to focus your energy and attention on tasks that
Take advantage of these services for listing yourself and
are going to have the highest impact.

In case you were wondering... checking email, site
stats, and spending hours reading blog posts are not
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19

high leverage activities.
success you want.
In the age of the internet and the many communication
Every project that I choose, I make sure that I evaluate
tools we have available to us, its easy to get distracted.
whether or not it will have a high return on investment
We can spend hours or days doing things that keep us
before I start on it. I meet with a group of entrepreneurs
busy, but at the end of the day, we dont have much to
each week where we help each other choose our single
show for ourselves.
highest leverage task for the week, and keep each other
accountable for following through.
Two things have helped me solve this problem more

I highly recommend that you do these two things. If
Creating a list of my highest leverage tasks, and

deliberately choosing what Im going to work on
each day.
easily create one. Ask a few highly motivated people

time. Each of you can hold each other accountable for
doing the tasks you agree to. Do whatever it takes to
Being a part of an accountability/mastermind

group.
I believe that consciously and deliberately selecting
your focus is the most powerful tool in creating the
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meetings, send out the invites, and reminders.

Each week, take turns discussing each members
highest leverage task and what each person did the
20

blost post ideas, but only two or three will actually be
published.
that you did what you said you would. If you do just
this one thing, I guarantee that your rate of following
When I decide to write about something, I ask myself
through will skyrocket.
4. THROWING AWAY ALL OF

THE GOOD IDEAS.
Is this something that people would want to

share with others?
Are people desperate to know more about this?
Or is everyone else already talking about it?
about every idea that came to me. I would save all of my

so-called good ideas and make sure that I never let
unique or unconventional angle?
any of them get away from me.
Is anything about this contrarian, uncommon, or

counterintuitive (my core writing themes)?
good ideas, and only keep the truly exceptional ones. I
may have 30 or 40 ideas in my Google document titled
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
Does it align with and build upon my core

message?
21

If an idea doesnt meet this criteria, I simply do not
write about it. I dont have time to work on average
because I know that no one wants to read average
content.
If Im not being
remarkable, Im contributing to the noise.
5. BUILD MEANINGFUL, WIN/

WIN RELATIONSHIPS (AND
HELP OTHER PEOPLE GET WHAT
THEY WANT).
There is no way I could have achieved the success I have
today without all the help and support I have received
along the way.
I want people to be insanely interested in my writing. If I

am not insanely interested in it, how can I expect other
people to be?
This support has come from people that have much

those that are at or around my level, and those just
GO FURTHER
starting out. All of them are important in building your

brand and creating a following.
for you to build a relationship with, and no one is too

little, either.
When building relationships with others here are the
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22

now, it was just a matter of time before they became big
You have some type of overlapping audience and

follower-base.
stars. It makes sense to help these people, because they

will remember it. You can try to help a lot of big names,
but more often than not, you will be seen as just another
You have similar interests, goals, and directions.

You are both highly passionate about and
motivated toward long-term success.
You are able to help them get what they want.
Ive also built relationships with people that others
probably thought were too inexperienced. But I saw
person vying for their attention.

To avoid that, the best thing way to connect with busy,
Respect their time. Know what you want to say

and make sure you say it clearly and succinctly.
Bypass clogged communication channels. Email
and Facebook are probably the most clogged
passionate, and willing to work hard. I knew that they

were dedicated and not going to disappear tomorrow
when they didnt achieve overnight success.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
conversation to Skype, phone, or an in-person

meetup.
23

If you have mutual connections, ask for an
introduction.
dont underestimate rising stars either, and those that

are just starting out on their path. They will often turn
out to become your biggest fans and greatest support.
interest. I receive a lot of communications every

day through email and Twitter, and a lot of them
I dont pay much attention to because I dont
resonate with that person. But if I knew if they had
an uncommon shared interest with me, say, raw
food-ism or Jeet Kune Do, then I would be more
likely to want to connect with that person.
a genuine desire for connecting. Dont just seek

relationships because you want to get something
from someone.
GO FURTHER: Read
by Laura Roeder.
6. DO WHAT I WANT WHILE

GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY
WANT.
This is really what it all comes down to, and is pretty
much where everything else comes together. If you cant
do what you want, while providing value to others, you
what you love.
relationships with people that are around your level or

higher, so you know you will be encouraged to grow. But
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
So in order to get paid to exist, you have to do
24

Coaching
value to others while youre doing it.
These are just a few possibilities, but this is the way you
deliver the value, not the actual value you deliver.
An ebook
desperately want or need.
Membership site or continuity program

This is a combination of what youre interested in, and
what your fans are desperately seeking. In other words,
Video training
its about identifying a gap
Live workshops
There might be a gap in information, education, or
Teleseminars
advice. There might be a gap in the way a product is
A physical product
already a product, but its not being marketed in a way

that speaks to your audience. If you can do a better job
Consulting
speaking to your audience and building trust, you will

consistently win their favor.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
25

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR
FOLLOWERS WANT?
Here are a few suggestions for getting to know what
Pay attention the response you get.

Its really that simple. Ask people what they want, and
then give it to them.
But most people do the perfect opposite. They try to
Create a survey with open ended questions like
read their customers mind and decide what the

customer wants because theyre supposed to be the
expert.
This is exactly what you dont want to do. Even if you
If you have an idea for a product, write about the

If you dont have a big following, try borrowing
someone elses blog (guest posting) or poll a
popular forum or community.
Ask how people feel about your idea on Twitter,
Facebook, or your social media outlet of choice.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
for sure, and youll know that youve made the sale
before youve made the product.
my ebook Reclaim Your Dreams An Uncommon Guide

to Living on Your Own Terms. I had been wanting to write
an ebook to sell on my blog for a long time. So when I
26

came up with the idea about reclaiming your dreams, I
I actually did this half on accident. I didnt know about
thought it would be something a lot of people would be
creating surveys and asking targeted open-ended
interested in. But before I wrote it, I wanted to make sure
questions. I was lucky to at least have the intuition to
the interest was there, so I decided to write a series on
notice that I got a good response and that creating an

ebook about this was a good idea.
especially the post

What Works.
before
you start.
for you in making your dreams a reality? After receiving

nearly a hundred responses I decided that there was
an interest. And it also seemed like there was a
HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 THE

MISTAKES AND LESSONS I
LEARNED ALONG THE WAY
to speak to everyone. I hadnt written much in the past,
I tested the demand before I wrote the ebook, and it

Reclaim Your Dreams continues to be a strong
so I wasnt sure of my voice. Luckily, I realized that in

order for me to set myself apart, I would have to stop
seller and the revenue from it still makes up over a third
trying to be everything to everyone and hone in on the
of my income.
people that most resonated with my message.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
27

The more I wrote and the more encouragement I got, the
more I felt empowered to be brazen in my writing and
walk the edges.
80%, when I was targeting these sites.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have trusted
myself to speak in my own voice in the beginning,
The main lesson I learned was not to pay too much
instead of trying to copy others and write for everyone.

views, Twitter followers, or RSS subscribers and it could
THE SOCIAL MEDIA BLACK HOLE

The other hard lesson I learned was to not waste my
not mean much. If they dont care

youre doing and are just another bullet point in their
feed reader. You have no leverage.
time with social media sites like Digg and Stumbleupon.

I tried to joining social networking groups where people
Its much better to have a tighter community that is
would help each other with votes, and I also spent a
deeply passionate, than a huge community that is
lot of time trying to befriend and gain favor from the
completely passive.
power users. All of this ended up being a huge waste

of time.
Now I care much more about the impact that Im making,
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28

MY BIG, FAT, EMBARRASSING
MISTAKE; THE ONE 99% OF
BLOGGERS MAKE AND THE REASON
THEY NEVER QUIT THEIR JOBS
a problogger. I thought I could start a blog, post
every day and within a few months have thousands
of subscribers, make a million dollars a month from
into an income.
This strategy is so backwards to making money, it rarely
ever works. With this frame of mind, the goal is to get an
try to convert that popularity into making money.
What I call this person is The Blogger Who Attempts to
adsense and happily quit my day job.

Well, that failed miserably didnt really work.
When most people start blogging with the ambition of
This is not the person that you want to be if you ever

want to quit your day job and get paid to exist.
The person you want to be is The Business Owner Who
Potential Buyers.
You will have other reasons for blogging of course. It
helps you learn, clarify your thoughts, and grow as a
person. It allows you to create community and purpose.
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29

Not to mention, blogging is a lot of fun; for me at least.
KEEPING PERSPECTIVE
Those are all wonderful things, but if you dont see
Its important to note here that these were the biggest
you will have a hard time making money online.
ideas are sound principles anyone can apply, your
blogging and Google Adsense is not a business model.

So get your business straight. Work on your marketing,
optimizing, creating useful products, building
relationships and time management. Then use blogging
keys in my own success. While I think most of these

mileage may vary.
never happen for me.

I am just like you. I have the same fears. I had the same
dissatisfaction with the status quo, and I started at the
as a tool to help you build credibility, gain trust and get

exposure.
The thing is, we have a tendency to overestimate what
others are capable of, and underestimate ourselves.
But its not just that.
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30

right. If you think you might have some ideas that fail,
see the people who have done what we only dream of,
youre right. But if you think you can keep putting one
at the top of the mountain. What we dont see is the
foot in front of the other a thousand times and not get
journey that they took to get there. We dont see all the
anywhere, youre wrong.
small steps; one foot in front of the other, every day for
months or years.
can rise before dawn 360 days a year, never fails to
Every day I wake up with a sense of gratitude and
make his family rich.
thankfulness that I am able to do what I do for a living.

Sometimes I think Im lucky, but I remember all the days
If you keep showing up it will be inevitable that you will
that I often worked on my blog during dinner, on the
succeed.
weekends and while others were sleeping.

I remember I would get frustrated looking at the people
I admired and wanted to emulate. I saw their massive
success and wondered why I couldnt be so lucky. But
what I forgot to see was each step they took along the
way.
So if you think that it will take a lot of work, youre
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31

message, when you actually care about that message.
PART THREE:
ZER0 HOUR CASE

STUDIES
Since I began my online entrepreneurial journey, Ive
had the pleasure of meeting several renegades who are
These strategies can actually be done in the real world,
Thats what these people Im about to introduce you to

are doing. They are rocking the entrepreneurial world.
They are helping others and creating change.
because they cannot be stopped. How can you stop

someone that loves what they do?
You cant.
and actually work when theyre practiced. I know they

do because Ive seen it, over and over. Not only do they
Heres what they had to say.
Imagine how much easier it would be to totally kick

ass at something you love doing. Imagine how much
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32

DANIELLE LAPORTE / WHITEHOTTRUTH.COM
hard to answer the question What do you do? Danielle is a perfect
example of that.
Professionally, she writes and inspires on her trailblazing blog. She jams
with entrepreneurs on how to rock their careers, and speaks to audiences
about liberating their authentic power. She does many things, but most
authentic action.
Danielle LaPorte
WhiteHotTruth.com
@WhiteHotTruth
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTICITY

Authenticity is magnetic. Its that simple. Everyone craves genuine
So we game-play. When you can stay anchored to your original self and
package it in a way that your key audience can hear you, then thats clarity
and not a whole lot of people have the courage to do that. But that
directness creates connection and interest from others, and that usually
leads to earning cash or prosperity in some form.
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33

DANIELLE LAPORTE / WHITEHOTTRUTH.COM
Danielles tips for rocking your personal brand:
1.
For Gods sake, everyone knows that you wrote
uptight version of you.

2. Practice elegance.
Antoine de Saint-Exupry, the author of The Little Prince, who said that,
elegance is when there is nothing left to add, and nothing left to take
away. So you can still be punk or eccentric or warrior, and be elegant in
terms of your presentation. Simple and honest.
3. Be truly useful. The purpose of branding is commerce, which means
wank. Before you press send, or pick up the phone, or put your widget
out into the world, you need to feel in your bones that youre doing
something thats going to improve things in some modest way. All good,
sustainable things come from that pure intention.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
34

CHRIS GUILLEBEAU /
ARTOFNONCONFORMITY.COM
living remarkably, and world travel.
Once in a while it really hits people that they dont have to experience the
world in the way they have been told to. -Alan Keightley
Chris Guillebeau
WHY HE THINKS THE WORLD NEEDS PEOPLE

TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE FOR A LIVING
If consensus is overrated, I think balance is too. I have no interest in living
a balanced life. I want a life of adventure, and I know that many of the
people who read this will identify with similar ideas. I have little patience
for anyone who tries to prevent someone else from doing what they are
about anyone who doesnt like it.
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35

CHRIS GUILLEBEAU /
ARTOFNONCONFORMITY.COM
IF HE HAD TO START ALL OVER
The business side of what I do developed quite organically. Its fairly
strategic now in the sense that I know where Im going but I guess if
anything I would have started sooner. The best time to start anything is
usually now we cant change the past, and the future is only partly in our
hands.
Chriss tips for social media success:
1.
2. That said, not every aspect of who you are or what you do is
what you love and what other people are interested in.
3.
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36

GLEN ALLSOPP / PLUGINID.COM
Glenn is a personal development writer and online entrepreneur. He has
gained a surprisingly large audience on his blog PluginID in relatively little
time with his always interesting and personal articles.
HOW BEING REMARKABLE HAS PLAYED

INTO HIS SUCCESS
Glen allsopp
PluginID.com
@PluginID
At all times I try to follow my gut instinct and while that often takes me
down unknown territory, it also means everything I do is both helping
people due to my raw honesty and unique because Im going by my own
intuition. I think that has helped my success because people can really relate
to whatever I put out there.
HOW GETTING PAID TO BE WHO HE IS HAS

CHANGED HIS LIFE
not my life around work. I like to think of my online projects as not who I am
audience that gets to see it.
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GLEN ALLSOPP / PLUGINID.COM
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AUTHENTIC
Be Real. I say this all the time, but thats because it is so important. If you
cant follow this simple step, good luck in trying to leverage the social web.
This seems obvious, but its hard for a lot of people. They might put on a
corporate front, go by a nickname or just talk to you in some generic tone.
ON GIVING YOUR FANS WHAT THEY WANT

Dont shout, listen. I regularly see small business owners, new bloggers and
even corporate companies try to push their message out onto people.
You cant just go into a platform like Twitter, Facebook or Digg and try to
force your messages on people.
connections if you want to leverage any of these communities. And dont

see it as some devious trick to get more of what you want; I mean create real
connections that stick.
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NATHALIE LUSSIER / RAWFOODSWITCH.COM
Nathalie is someone that you dont meet and easily forget. Her style and
attitude makes her someone you easily connect with.
Nathalie helps people overcome their fears of raw food magick so they can
live a healthy and empowered life.
found a way to market herself as a coach and teacher. Raw living is typically
seen as something weird or extreme and Nathalie has done a great job
of dispelling a lot of those myths.
Nathalie Lussier
RawFoodsWitch.com
@Hyperlinked
WHAT MAKES HER AMAZING

I dont push people to go 100% raw, and I mix modern day science with
traditional systems of healing. Plus, I call myself The Raw Foods Witch. I give
raw food. It makes it more accessible, and also more fun, which is what has
helped me spread my message. In turn, the mix of modern and traditional
has helped me better serve my clients.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
39

NATHALIE LUSSIER / RAWFOODSWITCH.COM
IF SHE HAD TO START ALL OVER
I would have built relationships with people in my industry before starting
my business. The funniest part is that I had all of the connections, I just
wasnt nurturing them. That meant that I just showed up out of the blue
HOW GETTING PAID TO BE WHO SHE IS HAS

CHANGED HER LIFE
creativity. Ive always been a creative person, but now that Im allowed and
even expected to bring my creativity to everything I do, Im really thriving.
Every day is a fun new experience, and I love the constant feedback loop
from idea-creation-reply between me and my readers/clients.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
40

CODY MCKIBBEN / THRILLINGHEROICS.COM
Digital nomad, world traveler, web technology consultant, and activist
In Search of Sanuk.
WHY HE THINKS THE WORLD NEEDS PEOPLE

TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE FOR A LIVING
Cody McKibben
ThrillingHeroics.com
People who love what they do simply do it better than people who are
loves their work is possible, but I know that the individuals who make the
biggest impact in the world and move society towards positive social change
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
41

CODY MCKIBBEN / THRILLINGHEROICS.COM
IF HE HAD TO START ALL OVER
things that you can get paid for. There is a small area where they overlap,
and that is where your business will be most successful. To be honest, I got
my start doing things I was good at and could get paid for but that I wasnt
that excited by. So it can be a struggle to reposition yourself and focus more
on the things you enjoy. Try to remain focused on the things that you really
enjoy and are passionate about from the very beginning and youll be on the
ON EMPOWERING YOUR TRIBE

connect with like-minded people. Answer comments and emails from
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
42

CHARLIE GILKEY /
PRODUCTIVEFLOURISHING.COM
attempt to put in words, he helps creative people do their thing instead of
just thinking about it, but its actually much cooler than that.
logical. He uses this gift to help people gain creative clarity, and actually
WHAT MAKES HIM REMARKABLE
Charlie gilkey
There are plenty of people who are insanely creative or incredibly
ProductiveFlourishing.com
switch and talk about what to do with them, all in a way that makes it
seem approachable and doable, is what helps me help my people get the
momentum going with meaningful action.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
43

CHARLIE GILKEY /
PRODUCTIVEFLOURISHING.COM
HOW GETTING PAID TO BE WHO HE IS HAS
CHANGED HIS LIFE
In some ways, most of the struggles of trying to be who others wanted me
to be has subsided. The more I lean into who I am and what I do, the easier
life becomes. But perhaps the most salient thing to me, right now, is that
happiness isnt something that comes after my work; it comes during it.
Charlies tips for rocking social media:
1. Remember that no matter how you do it, youre talking to people.
2.
3. Its easier to get peoples attention if what youre doing does the
talking.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
44

stem from. Without this part, nothing really matters.
PART fOUR:
So this is the most important thing you can work on. If
YOUR
PAID TO EXIST
SECRET WEAPON
you only get one thing out of reading this, this is what
Id like to help you with most.
Getting paid to exist is about eliminating the lines
between work and life. Its about demolishing the
disconnect between the value you create for others on
the one hand, and the passion and natural talents you
Besides learning from my story about how I got paid to
have on the other.
you can get paid to exist. There are a lot

of elements toward creating this lifestyle, but I think the
A) give a shit about
most important is your secret weapon.
B) are not good naturally

talented
In order to truly get paid to be who you are, you must be
there is a major disconnect. Not only are you not good
excited about the value you are contributing to others.
at it, but you could care less about it. Its simply doing
something to pay the bills. Youre in survival mode, not
This is the hub of the wheel that all of the other spokes
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
living mode.
45

Its also important to note that if you love collecting
3. You love to do it, and your passion for it is
stamps, but A)
B)
is not a very good potential that youll get paid to do it.
These three components are what comprises your secret

weapon.
Getting paid to exist is about eliminating those

disconnects.
You want to do what you love, are naturally good at, and
How I get paid to exist, or what I do, is teach self-
provide others with massive value at the same time.
development that speaks to unconventional people,

helps them wake up excited about their lives, live
It should be pretty obvious by now that your paid to
authentically, and on their own terms.
1. It has the potential to provide others with value

they are willing to pay for.
1. Does it provide value to others? Yes. People

are highly interested in living on their own terms
2. It leverages some type of natural talent or
and are willing to pay someone to help guide
strength youve had since birth.
them. I provide this value exchange in the form of

free articles, paid and free ebooks, and paid life
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
46

coaching. I build trust by building a relationship of
because self-development encompasses so many
intimacy from free articles, to increasingly higher
opportunities for learning and going deeper. In
exchanges of value.
short, there is always another level I can aspire to

reach.
2. Does it leverage some type of natural talent

or strength Ive had since birth? Yes. Ive always
had a curious, questioning spirit. Ive always had a
important? This overlap is what makes your means of
natural ability to look at things holistically and get
supporting yourself so natural that it doesnt feel like
to the root of the issue. I use this unique strength to

see the limiting beliefs and patterns in others. By
or a grim duty.
easily identifying the root cause of someones selfWhen Im working in my business, I never feel like I have
solve the problem at a core level.
to force myself to be productive. I am naturally drawn to

it, because teaching and learning is just something that I
3. Do I love to do it and is my passion sustainable?
love doing. Sometimes I am so enthralled with the work
Yes, I absolutely love problem solving, exploring
that Im doing that I have to consciously pull myself

away from it so I dont burn out. That is the way work
By helping others with their own self-development,
should be.
I naturally help myself as well. Its a win/win. This

is not something Id get bored or tired of easily,
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
Ive looked at countless others who are rocking their
47

feeling by reverse engineering the process, and isolating
Passion and Strengths are the three main elements that
to one area at a time in a progressive way.
show up in all of them. There are some other important
tree. The rest are branches.
Step one: Ask yourself, What am I

passionate about that I could do for a
living?
Now that you have a clear understanding of the
You would be amazed at how many people want to do
elements to your secret weapon, lets get into the
what they love for a living, but they never take the time
yourself.
this some thought, or maybe you havent. Either way,
aspects of getting paid to exist that you can leverage, as

well. But those three things make up the trunk of your
you need to take the time to ask yourself this question.
HOW TO FIND YOUR SECRET

WEAPON
anything. Well, perhaps this is only true because youve
This is actually a very easy process; much easier than
give yourself permission and ask What am I passionate
most people make it. When I talk about these three
about that I could do for a living?
never given yourself permission to be passionate. So
sweet spot. Were going to avoid this overwhelming
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
48

Communication
Cultivating Relationships
EXERCISE:
Your Passion by signing up for my newsletter The
Unstream. Answer and go through all of the exercises
within.
Step two:
possibilities, which of them could utilize
unique personal strengths that Ive had
since birth?
natural abilities collide. The key here is to focus on
Problem Solving
Design
Teaching
Simplifying
Empathy
Organization
core strengths; areas where you excel far beyond the

capabilities others normally possess.
Visualizing
Systemic Thinking
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
49

Inspiring Others
1. We lessen the gap of time between
our secret
weapon, and getting paid to use it. In other words, its

easier for us to move swiftly from the point of ground
Leading Others
These are just a few examples, and obviously many of
these qualities and traits can be learned and developed.
But there are some of these things that you are naturally
already good at it, we dont have to waste precious

time trying to hone or learn new skills. By working from
your strengths rather than trying to improve your
gifted at doing. I am naturally gifted at thinking

holistically and philosophically. Because of that, its
easy for me to see the root of peoples problems and
help them solve them.
2. You utilize your competitive edge. If youre naturally

gifted at something, and other people are struggling to
just get close to your skill level, you are going to have a
WHY WE WANT STRENGTH/PASSION

INTERSECTIONS
We could just as easily choose something were not
naturally gifted at and train it to a level of competency.
a way to leverage our natural strengths to magnify our
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
huge advantage. Youll easily excel while others are just

trying to be competent.
EXERCISE:
were good at because were so good at it, and its so
natural that its not obvious to us. It can be helpful in
this situation to ask someone else what were good at.
50

So, pick three people to interview about your personal
close relative, 2. A peer or someone youve worked with,
product, ebook, consulting, coaching, webinar,

etc.)
or 3. A partner or friend.
Is there a potential desperate or urgent need for

Look at the common themes in their responses.
Step Three: Ask yourself How will I do

[your idea] in a way that provides value
to others?
This is where you really determine if your idea has any
This is arguable the most important part of the process.
it from the angle of how will I contribute to others,
potential in allowing you to get paid to exist.
rather than how will I get people to give me their

intersections, now you need to determine if and how
Value, on the
you can do provide value by doing it.
other hand, is what is really being exchanged.
To determine the value of your possible endeavor, think
EXERCISE:
customer will gain through interacting with you. Where
are they now, and where will they be once theyve
worked with you, or used your product?
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
51

Okay, so those are the three steps
receive an average score of how you rated each answer.
passion; 2. Finding your strengths; and 3. Finding your

come up with one that has a 4-5 average score.
I realize that this is going to be the most challenging
you come up with your list of ideas and intersections,
AVOIDING THE TWO MAJOR

PITFALLS
it will be hard not to over-analyze and second guess
While I think Ive covered all the bases here, there are,
whether or not you have a long-term potential with your
however, two major pitfalls that you should be aware of
ideas.
when turning your passion into a source of income.
Because of that, Ive created a special test called The
1. Your beliefs.
thing for you on the path to getting paid to exist. After
that meet the three criteria of passion, innate strength,

and massive value to others, go through the test.
Do you believe that you dont deserve to do what you

love for a living? Do you believe that work must be a
chore? If so, you will never feel comfortable getting
There is a video included in the test that explains each

question and how it applies to you. After you watch
passionate about, you will sabotage yourself before you
the video and come up with your ideas, youll rate
allow it to become your main source of income. Above

all, work on your belief that doing what you love for a
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
52

2. The desire to be monogamous.
living is your birthright.
Its also important to note that when getting paid to

think is and is not possible, you will start getting a huge
exist, you dont have to be monagamous. You may not
internal pushback. This is completely normal. Youre
just have one true love as a passion. You might have
basically revolting against a mental framework youve
many.
lived around for years or decades. But keep your mind

open.
When you come up against a belief that you think is
impossible say, for instance, I could never teach
skydiving for a living test it. Is it really true that its
not possible? What is the market demand? How long
be your source of income doesnt mean that you have

to martyr the others. And sometimes choosing not to
pursue your true love as a source of income can keep it
sacred. Ill give you a personal example.
Since a young age, I have always loved playing music. I
started playing Trombone in sixth grade, studied voice in
me to sneak in a back door?
Junior High, and picked up guitar in High School. Then I
Ask yourself those questions, then test your belief. Is it

fact, or myth? Assumption or truth?
For a long time, I wanted to play music professionally.
I considered doing this as something I loved, but every
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
53

time I thought of playing music for a living, it made me
art can create. If so, more power to you.
cringe. I couldnt imagine feeling like I must create in

order to pay the bills. I decided that while it would be
Whatever you decide, realize that you can choose to
cool to play music for a living, have fame and fortune
pursue whatever passion you like.
and all of that, it wasnt something I wanted to pursue. I

just didnt think my love for music could take the stress
of doing it as a means of income.
Thats when I got into blogging and writing on personal
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
development. I decided that I would rather keep

independence teaching personal development.
the side and jamming with my friends, but I dont aspire

to do it to pay the bills.
what youre
going to do to get paid to exist.
You should know that it is something youre

intrinsically good it.
It should be something that sets your heart on
This may or may not be the same for you. You may have
more grit than me and are more able to endure the
stress that seeking an income from producing personal
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
54

immensely valuable. In other words, this is your
contribution to the world.
many people will ever be.

Youre well on your way to creating a Zero Hour
Workweek.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
55

you do for a living.
CLOSING:
THE WORLD NEEDS YOU

TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE
other people to do the same. The more people that
This may seem kind of crazy, but I think the world
I believe its our personal responsibility to help shift the
actually needs you to get paid to do what you love.

After all, dont you think youll have a greater impact on
the collective happiness of the planet if youre actually
break away and reject the idea that work must be

a chore, the more we give everyone else the silent
permission to do the same.
contribution, sacredness, and enjoyment.

So, I dont think what were really looking for is a four
hour work week, automated income, or early retirement.
Those things might be nice, but they still dont get to the
point.
See the really cool thing about doing what you love is
that its easier to be amazing at what youre doing. Its
easy to excel. Its easy to connect. And its easy to lead
and build a following when youre excited about what
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
Thats because they reinforce the idea that we need

to escape from work, when all work really is is the
exchange of value with others. We obviously need to
56

contribute and provide others with value to get paid,
and to live, but thats only part of it. Deep down, we all
desperately want to contribute. We want to participate.
YOULL PROBABLY HAVE TO

CREATE IT
We want to help. We want to be heard. We want to be
There may be the perfect job out there that aligns
involved, immersed, and we want to share with others.
with your passions, utilizes your unique strengths, is

remarkable, and pays you well to do it.
But we want to do it in a way that allows us to share our

gifts, work on exciting things with people we like, and
company where you love the people you work for and
That is the way all value should be exchanged. That is
a place where they let you choose the projects you work
what it means to get paid to be who you are.
on, and when you work on them.
We dont really want to escape work or contribution. We
The truth is, that elusive job may or may not exist. But
just want to give the kind of value that we want to give.
you can create it.
We want to decide the way we contribute. We want to

work toward our own goals of contribution, instead of
After all, when you create it, you put the power back in
someone elses. But most of all, we want to contribute
your hands.
to something we believe in, are passionate about, and

excited about.
So go. Start now.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
57

We need your gifts. We need you to be excited. We need
you to love the work you do, and the people you work
with.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
59

Tweet about it.
the bottom of this page.
DID YOU APPRECIATE

THIS? SHARE IT WITH
SOMEONE.
Link to it. The absolute coolest think you could

do would be to link to or review this ebook on your
blog.
If you got something out of this free ebook, I would

really appreciate it if you could share it with a friend.
Id like to see as many people as possible be able to get
paid to do what they love for a living, and I think youd
agree that the world would be a better place if more of
us did.
Email this to a friend. Send this to someone you
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET
60

EvYan, for believing in my crazy ideas and
being my biggest fan.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
And most importantly, thank you to all of my readers,
A lot of people have helped along the way to making
You are awesome. Thank you for allowing me to be a
everyone who has linked to me, retweeted my articles,

or told your friends about them.
part of such an amazing community.

Thank you...
for being a great friend, coach, and an
awesome person.
Leo for taking the chance on me and giving me the
opportunity to speak to the readers of
, and
putting up with my crazy ideas.

and Laura for being amazing friends and mentors.
ILLUMINATEDMIND.NET

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THE

WHWHATATIS ISTHIS THISALL ALL

What I found is that

assumptions, you'LL probabLy find out something even

whatever way you see fit. YOU make the agreement.

want to make a difference and give other people some

down the time to five o'cLock. I don't dread Mondays and

mine. That's OK. While I think modeLing others and

I personally can no Longer tell, the difference.

That was until. I started testing this convention: the

cLerk (or fiLe heLL Liason, a description I found much

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

A lot of people ask me how Ive been able to achieve

thinking about this, getting clarity about your message

success online in the amount of time I have. While Im

and what makes it remarkable.

very grateful to have aqcuired the success Ive had, most

With these strategies Ive managed to build a blog with

A remarkable message that people can rally behind

You are deeply passionate about it.

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

What kind of change do I want to see happen in

remarkable so its easy for other people to get excited

What are the connecting elements between me

It took me a while to really get clear about this message,

terms of a revolution or a social movement?

core message will be.

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

message to your tribe, on the other hand, you make them

have to decipher or decode the purpose of your website.

they know you are speaking to them.

It should be clear within 30 seconds what youre about

How to Start a Revolution

2. TAPPING INTO BLOGGING

highly interested in its study.

Productivity geeks that constantly tweak their

with has been one of the biggest keys to my success.

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

1. Why insanely interested?

Martial arts practitioners that painstakingly hone

are insanely enthusiastic about what they do.

looking for more information and better information.

Think about it, who would you be more likely to want

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

THE POWER OF BLOGGING

Blogging naturally helps you connect with people in

interests, none of the same goals or ambitions?

your tribe because you create a platform to continually

people that you want to have relationships with

with other people in your tribe that they know.

because like them, you respect them, and you have

There are tons of other reasons for having a blog which

interact with, theyre the people that will spread your

SO HOW DO YOU FIND THESE

like coaching or consulting, or you can use it to sell a

THE ZERO HOUR WORKWEEK

Twitter is especially awesome because it breaks through

Not only does blogging help you form relationships, it

Twitter is created for the purpose of conversation,

is one of the best ways to show someone that you know

it eliminates the normal barriers to entry you would

before they buy from you.

otherwise experience. Ive had conversations with